Day of the Dead
Babylon 5 becomes part of the Brakiri "Day of the Dead" festival, in which people are visited by the deceased from their past. Famous entertainers Rebo and Zooty visit the station. Cast ;Regular *Bruce Boxleitner as President John Sheridan *Jerry Doyle as Michael Garibaldi *Mira Furlan as Ambassador Delenn *Richard Biggs as Dr. Stephen Franklin *Bill Mumy as Lennier *Tracy Scoggins as Captain Elizabeth Lochley *Stephen Furst as '''Vir Cotto *Jeff Conaway as Security Chief Zack Allan *Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander *Peter Jurasik as Ambassador Londo Mollari *Andreas Katsulas as ' Ambassador G'Kar' ;Guest Starring *Penn Jillette as Rebo *Teller as Zooty *Joshua Cox as Lieutenant Corwin *Bridget Flanery as Zoe ;Special Appearance by *Marie Marshall as Dodger *Fabiana Udenio as Adira Tyree *Ed Wasser as Morden ;Co-Starring *Jonathan Chapman as Brakiri Ambassador *Mary Major as ISN Reporter *Skip Stellrecht as Customs Officer *Ismael Kanater as Brakiri Salesman ;Featuring *Harlan Ellison as Voice of Zooty Cast Notes * Regular characters who appear in this episode are John Sheridan, Michael Garibaldi, Delenn, Lennier, Elizabeth Lochley, Londo Mollari and G'Kar. * First and only on-screen appearance of the previously mentioned Rebo & Zooty. Summary Introduction In the customs area, Rebo & Zooty arrive on Babylon 5, immediately performing an act for everyone there. Elsewhere, John Sheridan, Michael Garibaldi and Elizabeth Lochley discuss the Brakiri's upcoming religious event, which happens only once every two hundred years. Londo Mollari is talking with a Brakiri merchant about a trinket when the event comes up. He asks Mollari who he would like to meet among the dead. When Mollari readily responds that he has "several bones to pick" with the First Emperor, the merchant happily gives him the trinket for free. He explains the event is called the Day of the Dead. Act I Lennier has arrived on the station and surprises Delenn in her quarters, having heard of the Brakiri event and wanting to partake. He asks Delenn about Sheridan, and also learns that Rebo & Zooty are on the station as well. Sheridan happily introduces Rebo & Zooty to a crowd. Everyone enjoys their act except for Lochley. She excuses herself to meet the Brakiri ambassador. In her office, the ambassador offers a religious artifact, and Lochley hears the Brakiri offer to buy the station for a day. G'Kar bursts in, interrupting to warn Lochley against the transaction, saying that strange things are rumored to have happened on previous Days of the Dead. She dismisses him, citing that Interstellar Alliance's mission includes guaranteeing freedom of religion. Later, the ambassador explains some Brakiri beliefs to Garibaldi, demonstratng by crossing a red line drawn in a corridor. Garibaldi learns that, due to the purchase, his quarters are in the Brakiri part of the station. Garibaldi has had a long day and brushes off the ambassador, crossing the line and going into his quarters. Another Brakiri passes with an incantation and some skulls to hang in the hallway. Act II Sheridan has Rebo and Zooty over for dinner and they meet Delenn. Promptly, Zooty tells a Minbari joke through the machine and it lands well on Delenn, who laughs uncontrollably. They try to explain the joke to Sheridan. Zooty and Delenn go into the room and Sheridan asks Rebo if he could talk to Zooty without the machine. Oddly, Rebo replies that Zooty never breaks character even with him, except for one word: "why." Meanwhile, on the Brakiri line, an energy field seems to have erected. That night, people are settling in their quarters, and Rebo and Zooty's presence is felt still. Lochley tries to find a channel on TV without Rebo and Zooty, Mollari finds he is not on the front page of the newspaper, and David Corwin is practicing their hat trick in C&C. G'Kar, however, interrupts Corwin, asking to sleep there, since his quarters are also on the Brakiri side of the line. Lochley notices her quarters' lighting has changed, but C&C does not respond to her query. Mollari has a drink alone and talks to a painting of the First Emperor, but of course it does not respond. However, the red lighting appears and Mollari opens the door to see what it is. He turns around in astonishment – Adira Tyree is there. He starts to tell her what happened after she died, saying he avenged her death but would give up all he gained to have her back. They kiss. Garibaldi, trying to sleep, sees the red lighting, too. The shower turns on, and he slowly gets a PPG from under his pillow and goes to see who it is. He is astonished to see Elizabeth Durman. With her usual jovial nature, she has to convince the suspicious Garibaldi that it really is her. Lochley tries again to contact C&C when she finds someone in her quarters – Zoe. Act III Lochley explains how she found Zoe dead. Zoe says it is OK for her to say "I told you so." Lochley explains she called her mother afterwards, and her father and some marines came to get her. Later, she enlisted in Earthforce and now runs a space station. She asks Zoe if she killed herself on accident, but Zoe says she doesn't know. Zoe asks about starting a party, but Lochley says she does not drink anymore. She tries to find out how Zoe is there in that moment, but Zoe is sure she truly died. Sheridan is pulled away from dinner by a call from Corwin, who has found out the Brakiri part of the station is "missing" – it cannot be contacted. Garibaldi and Durman start to get reacquainted. Sheridan himself goes to the red line separating the Brakiri part of the station. He tries to throw a fire extinguisher at it, but it only bounces back, nearly hitting him. He tries to get more information from Corwin, but Lochley had not left much with him. Lennier is meditating when Morden arrives, reading the newspaper. He is nonchalant about his death and acknowledging of his crimes. He proceeds to challenge Lennier on what he is currently seeking, declaring Delenn does not love him. Lennier claims he knows that, but Morden insists he does not truely know it. Lennier demands he leave, but Morden says he has been summoned. Lennier tries to leave the quarters himself, but collapses oddly in the energy field outside. Morden drags him inside, explaining the other side of the corridor is actually several light years away, separated by vacuum. As he tries to find coffee, he is surprised not to find Sheridan, since he died on Z'ha'dum. Morden asks if Lennier likes the Rangers, and makes a prediction that Lennier will betray them. When Lennier vehemently denies it, and points out that Sheridan is not dead, Morden insists he is prophetic, not infallible. Lennier goes back to meditation and cuts off conversation. Morden goes back to the newspaper. Zoe watches as Lochley tries to figure out what is going on, and confirms the real location of their section of the station. In the process, she has to use her passcode – "Zoe's dead." Act IV Garibaldi tells Durman about Lise Hampton-Edgars. They are about to kiss when Lochley interrupts them. She wants Garibaldi to contact the station using Proxima III to boost the signal. He is confused, but agrees. Mollari and Adira are interrupted by Lochley's general transmission assuring that everything is OK. Adira sadly admits that she is just a dream, about to be gone, but is happy for Mollari's rule as Emperor. Garibaldi finishes the communications quickly and gets back to reminiscing with Durman. Rebo and Zooty tell Delenn they want to do something serious, and go into politics. They are convinced they are not taken seriously and want to make a difference. Sheridan does not agree, trying to tell them that the freedom to laugh is part of what he fights for, but soon Lochley's transmission gets through to the station. It breaks up soon, but at least they know the people inside the Brakiri zone are all right. The night is ending. Morden breaks the silence to ask Lennier to take what he said seriously before disappearing. Garibaldi and Durman share a laugh, but Durman realizes time is up, gives him a kiss, and leaves. Zoey explains to Lochley a message she received for Sheridan, but changes the subject. She realizes time is up and admits she did kill herself on purpose. Then, she disappears. Act V Sheridan tries to get the full story from Lochley, but cannot believe what he is hearing. She admits she did not realize the odd transportation, but promises to think about it the next time. She has people working on leads as to how the effect was achieved, but is content with the mystery since no one was hurt. She then surprises Sheridan with a message from Kosh: "When the long night comes, return to the end of the beginning." Sheridan processes it with a stern look, then dismisses her. G'Kar finds Lochley and admits she was right, and wonders what he would have seen if he had stayed in his quarters. Rebo and Zooty pass by, walking with Mollari who is now a fan of the duo. Zooty takes Sheridan aside and whispers something. Sheridan smiles and walks to G'Kar, explaining he said "because it tells me to." Memorable Quotes "Because it tells me to." Zooty's whisper to President Sheridan about the device he uses When the long night comes, return to the end of the beginning. A message from Kosh to Sheridan, given by Kosh to Zoe to Lochley to Sheridan Notes *Dodger's observation that "any Emily Dickinson poem can be sung to the tune of 'The Yellow Rose of Texas'" echoes the same comment in the Hugo Award-winning satirical short story, "The Soul Selects Her Own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson's Poems: A Wellsian Perspective," written by Connie Willis and published in 1996 in Asimov's Science Fiction and ''War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches''1997 Hugo AwardsWar of the Worlds: Global Dispatches. According to Neil Gaiman, Dodger is wrong about Emily Dickinson.Day of the Dead: An Annotated Babylon 5 Script DVD Release This episode, along with the other 21 from Season 5 have been released on DVD with extensive Special Features. References External Link * Category:Babylon 5 episodes Category:Babylon 5 Season 5 episodes